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Take a look at the 1845 OS map for Anglezarke, and you will see the boundary line between Bolton and Blackburn running along the eastern edge of the moor. This is the boundary that is clearly visible if you park half way along Rivington Road on the way to Belmont and runs north from the car park. If you look to the south you can see the same boundary running up Winter Hill where it then runs along Dane Ditch.
However the 1845 map gives us some more details that are lost on later maps. In a couple of places, the boundary is marked as "Track of Ditch", but more interestingly, there are 14 mounds marked along the route. The section with the mounds on runs over Redmond's Edge and along as far as the foot of Great Hill. |
To investigate further, the first task is to overlay the OS1845 map onto Google Earth and mark the 14 mounds.
Most of the mounds are marked with a circle on the boundary line, where as the line itself is marked by black solid dots. However, there are some instances of the mark made off the line of the boundary ditch, and one instance is marked as Mounds (M9).
Most of the mounds are marked with a circle on the boundary line, where as the line itself is marked by black solid dots. However, there are some instances of the mark made off the line of the boundary ditch, and one instance is marked as Mounds (M9).
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We can then overlay a Digital Terrain Model showing the elevations (0.5m) and look at see if anything is visible.
The line of the ditch is very clear between M1 to M9, even with zooming in. If we look more closely at the M8/M9 region, we can see the double lines of the ditch and what appear to be a cluster of shapes in the M9 area. 
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The position of M12 is also interesting. I am doing some research into Devil's Ditch and noticed that it is possible that it terminates at the boundary line.
Spitlers Edge is a ridge running along the eastern edge of Anglezarke Moor, Chorley, Lancashire, England from Standing Stones Hill to Hordern Stoops. The peak, complete with cairn, at 392m, is the high point of the moorland.
Redmonds Edge links Spitlers Edge to Great Hill and is paved. As of 2006, there are imminent plans to extend the paving along the length of Spitlers Edge.
Along the length of the edge is a stone wall of some importance - the boundary was built in 1841 as a relief measure to provide respite from the Hungry Forties, and is the Parliamentary Division boundary between Chorley and Blackburn.
The name is derived from the fact that in mediaeval times, the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem used this route when travelling to their holdings in this district.
SMITHILLS was held by the Hospitallers, and appears to have been held under them by the Hulton family, passing with the manor of Blackburn to the Raddiffes in 1335.
The Hospitallers had land in Blackrod in 1292, This seems the most probable account of the matter, as Smithills and Blackburn afterwards descended together, but there are no charters concerning Smithills available, and it may, of course, have been held by the Radcliffes under the Hospitallers.
ASTLEY belonged to the Knights Hospitallers, The order had land in Chorley in 1292; Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 375.
The Hospitallers at one time had land in Heapey.
Redmonds Edge links Spitlers Edge to Great Hill and is paved. As of 2006, there are imminent plans to extend the paving along the length of Spitlers Edge.
Along the length of the edge is a stone wall of some importance - the boundary was built in 1841 as a relief measure to provide respite from the Hungry Forties, and is the Parliamentary Division boundary between Chorley and Blackburn.
The name is derived from the fact that in mediaeval times, the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem used this route when travelling to their holdings in this district.
SMITHILLS was held by the Hospitallers, and appears to have been held under them by the Hulton family, passing with the manor of Blackburn to the Raddiffes in 1335.
The Hospitallers had land in Blackrod in 1292, This seems the most probable account of the matter, as Smithills and Blackburn afterwards descended together, but there are no charters concerning Smithills available, and it may, of course, have been held by the Radcliffes under the Hospitallers.
ASTLEY belonged to the Knights Hospitallers, The order had land in Chorley in 1292; Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 375.
The Hospitallers at one time had land in Heapey.
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